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The planet of Ord Mantell was settled by Corellian colonists around 12,000 BBY, and it was utilized as a Ordnance/Regional Depot for the Republic Military's operations in the northern Outer Rim Territories. However, despite becoming a member of the Galactic Republic, Ord Mantell gradually lost its strategic value[1] after new hyperlanes eliminated the need for Republic fleets to pass through the Bright Jewel Cluster. Military engineers and their families were transferred to other planets, leaving the population mostly farmers.[6] After a corrupt admiral sold off the local fleet, the Republic Military abandoned its interests on the planet entirely, and Ord Mantell became known as a haven for smugglers, bounty hunters, and pirates.[1] While Ord Mantell's numerous ports continued to attract traders and merchants, the black market began to thrive and the planetary government fell under the control of various crime syndicates.[7] Corporations and underworld figures took control of the now-abandoned military spaceports, and political corruption remained rampant over the following centuries.[6] While ordinary Mantellians viewed their government with disdain, some more radical fringe groups actively protested the corruption. When an entire governmental cabinet was forced to step down after it was revealed they accepted bribes, the fringe groups began to gain support and gradually developed into a cohesive movement.[8]

The civil war was fought both on the surface of Ord Mantell, notably on the island of Avilatan, and in space, where ships affiliated with the Mantellian Separatist Movement clashed with the Republic's fleet.